Master of Arts (M.A.) in Ministry/Lay Ministries
Overview
Stritch’s Master of Arts (M.A.) in Ministry and Master of Arts (M.A.) in Lay Ministries degree programs are designed for those pursuing careers in church or societal ministries in the Protestant tradition or the Catholic tradition. The M.A. in Lay Ministries is a formation program based on the guidelines for lay ecclesial ministers as described in the United States Catholic Bishops’ document Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord.
The M.A. in Ministry degree will enhance or advance your career in positions such as Youth Ministry Director, Campus Ministries, Health Care Ministries and Correctional Ministries, while the M.A. in Lay Ministries degree will enhance or advance your career in positions such as Parish Catechetical and Youth Ministry Director, Pastoral Associate, Campus Ministries, Health Care Ministries, Correctional Ministries and Catholic school teachers and administrators.
Students in either program earn 16 credits in the core curriculum, which consists of introductory courses in Scripture, church history, pastoral theology and systematic theology. Included in the core curriculum are four one-credit formation courses dealing specifically with human, spiritual and pastoral formation. Students also earn 11 elective credits, which allow for concentration in a pastoral area of interest. A pastoral project and written and oral comprehensive exams comprise the final three credits of the program.